Title: One Hand Clapping
Author: Stormy1x2 (travelingstorm)
Word Count for chapter 7: 7779 (approx 16 OpenOffice pages)
Rating: OverallPG13 for language
Pairing: Mention of April/Casey, Casey's mom/dad
Summary: Book 1. Casey learns not all battles can be won with a hockey stick, and April, and the TMNT learn there's more to their so-called 'simple' friend then they ever dreamed.
Notes: Once again beta'd by the wonderful Red Rebel. A filler chapter with dialogue between Casey and Sid. I hope you find it interesting, even if the TMNT boys are a no-show. I swear, by the end, you'll know why this was necessary. I promise to make up for it with the boys next time.
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Sid woke up to the sound of light coughs coming from Aunt Addie, and low murmurs coming from his cousin. Casey's murmurs had a faint hint of exasperation to them, and though he couldn't quite make out individual words, he could probably guess at what was happening. Auntie Addie was likely embarrassed about what had happened during the night, and was most likely going to spend the whole day proving that she wasn't a weakling, or something equally stupid, and drive Casey absolutely bonkers.
He grinned. It sounded like it would be fun to watch. Better get moving so I don't miss the floor show. He tossed the blanket off and grabbed his clothes.
By the time he got downstairs, Casey was standing in front of the coffee machine, arms folded, a death glare leveled at the caffeine dripping into the mug. Adelina was mixing a bowl of instant pancake batter and ignoring him. Snickering silently, Sid strode into the kitchen, waving good morning.
"What did poor Mr Coffee ever do to you?" Sid asked Casey, still grinning. He slipped into one of the chairs, grabbing an orange from the fruit bowl in the middle. "It can't be enough to warrant a level two 'stare-of-doom'."
Casey raised his eyes briefly, glaring balefully. "Bite me."
Now that was completely uncalled for. Sid pouted. "Ouch, harsh." He stuck out his tongue in retaliation, and proceeded to strip his orange of its peel in a single take. Holding up the orange spiral, he nodded with satisfaction. "Oh, look at that. I am so good."
Casey glanced at him and the orange, and a brief look of amusement replaced the ire in his eyes. He relaxed fractionally, arms uncrossing. "You like to think so."
"I know so," Sid insisted. It was so easy to play his cousin like a violin. He turned to look at his aunt, batting his eyes. She was a tougher nut to crack, but he knew how to handle her. "Everyone says so. Right Auntie Addie?" He poured on the extra charm as he said her name, batting his eyes at her, and and he silently cheered as she played along with him.
"You bet, Siddy," she agreed, eyes still on the pan in front of her.
Hey, hey, hey – no nicknames! Sid pouted at his aunt who ignored him, but didn't hide the smirk on her face. He knew she knew exactly what he was thinking – he had hated that name with a passion, growing up. Casey snorted, a grin finally forming. Success! It was funny how after all those years away, he still remembered how to play his role in the family.
"So what's on the agenda today?" he asked, separating his orange. "My ride ain't comin' for me until this afternoon, so I'm good for about anything."
"In a rush to get away?" Casey asked.
Sid rolled his eyes. "I only got two days off, ya idjit. 'Course I am the boss – well, one of them, anyway - but if I stay away from the garage too long, the morons will probably wind up burning it to the ground." He popped an orange slice in his mouth, waiting for the surprise to hit them.
Bingo. Casey blinked at him, and even Auntie Addie turned around to face him in surprise. He snickered at the pole-axed expressions on their faces. "Oh, didn't I tell you?" The innocent tone just wasn't working for him, he could tell. Two pairs of eyes stared at him.
"Tell us?" Casey echoed. Mr Coffee finally finished filling his cup, and he turned off the machine, bringing his drink to the table. "What garage?"
"My garage. Shit man, I told ya I was good with a toolbox." Sid gave him a mock-glare. How dare they forget the details? "You think I lied or somethin'?" He tossed another orange section into his mouth, licking the juice off his fingers. Adelina rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at the napkins piled up in the center of the table. Sid deliberately gave her a confused look and licked his finger again. She snorted and let it drop, going back to her pancakes.
The winner, and still champion of the non-verbal battles. Victory is mine! Sid cackled mentally.
"No, but you also said you worked in a garage when you were with the Dragons." Casey had ignored Sid's little by-play and he had a blank look on his face now. It was a little scary to see. Especially, Sid mused, since I now know just who it was behind that hockey mask.
Then Casey's words sank in, and Sid finally realized what his little surprise was starting to sound like. He held up his hands, letting an orange slice fall to the table. "Not what it looks like, cuz." He snatched the abandoned orange back up and tossed the slice slice into the air, catching it in his mouth. "Two points!" He cheered automatically. Grinning, he wiped his mouth and continued. "Remember I said the gang scattered after I got caught skimming the boss?"
"Yeah.'
"Well, you bailed me out of the Dragons. They let me go, free and clear. Not quite sure why, but hey, who cares." Sid shrugged. He was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. One could get a lot of cool, free stuff that way. "Anyway, we regrouped and opened a place of our own. A buddy of mine had a garage but he needed help and didn't wanna do it alone. He asked me to go in on it with him, and we all just kinda...fit in."
Well. That was sort of how it happened. The short and sweet version. Sid shrugged mentally. The long version was boring anyway.
"Honest work?" Casey asked, raising an eyebrow. Sid cocked his head in confusion until he remembered what he'd told Casey about client retention for the Dragon's operation. His eyes widened.
"Oh. No, nothing like that. Just plain old mechanic shit. Fluke owns the building, rat trap that it is, and we do good work. Not making the Fortune 500 flow we could'a been like with the Dragons, but after all that shit went down and I nearly got friggin' killed, well..." Sid shrugged again. "It's safer for now." He smirked at his cousin. "I should thank you, you know. After all, you and April got me out of the Dragons. They moved back into the city to help with something big going down, and never came back. Haven't seen Spuds or his boys around in almost nine months."
Casey looked as though he wanted to say something, but changed his mind at the last minute, and instead came out with, "Fluke?"
A detour. Sid liked detours. Especially around topics that weren't exactly of the happy, cheerful variety. Sid nodded, smiling at the memory. "Name's Luke, but he got in a fight one night. He was loaded, and hit on some girl at O'Malley's – s'a bar, near the garage – and didn't notice her two hundred pound, construction worker boyfriend. The guy swung at Luke, and Luke ducked for cover, like the damn chicken shit he is. Dude lost his balance, fell over and hit his head on the bar. He was out like a light. Luke was damn lucky – he can't fight for nothin'." Sid chuckled. "Luke's fluke, we called it. And then we called him it."
Casey laughed. "Good one."
Adelina brought the first batch of pancakes over to the table, setting them on the table. Casey jumped up and got the syrup and butter from the fridge, and the conversation took a brief hiatus while they stuffed their faces. They knew better then to talk with their mouths full with Adelina in the room with them. It was a rule that had always been strictly enforced, and it was easy to fall back into the routine. Sid chalked it up as being yet another thing from childhood that just kinda stuck with a person, no matter how much time has gone by.
Besides, he didn't want his knuckles rapped. Those big, heavy, antique spoons of Grandma's freakin' hurt.
Sid watched as his aunt picked at the pancakes, seeming more content to just sit and listen and observe, rather than participate in their earlier discussion. He wanted to ask how she was doing, but he had a feeling his solicitousness wouldn't exactly be appreciated. Far from being weak in his eyes, he still knew that his opinion and her opinion, wouldn't really be meshing.
Casey swallowed the last of the stack in front of him and jumped up to get more. As he did, he tossed a question back at Sid, who blinked in surprise. "So whose coming to get you later?"
"My roommate," he replied, automatically. Another small detail he'd forgotten to mention, but there were just so many of them. He couldn't be bothered. And it hadn't even occurred to him to mention that he wasn't living alone.
Casey cocked an eyebrow. "Roommate?"
"Two years now," Sid said, nodding, watching with a grin as Casey and Adelina did the whole surprised look-exchange thing. He decided to add one more surprise to the mix. "She'll be here around three or so."
"She?" Casey blinked. "You said you didn't have a girlfriend."
"And I don't. She's a friend. Name's Cal – she used to date one of the Dragons until he got too rough. He wound up being arrested during a break-in – he assaulted an officer. Dude won't be out for years." Sid shrugged. That was completely fine with him. Cal's ex wasn't one of his, and he felt no loyalty to the thug who had obviously bitten off more then he could chew when he decided to take on part of the NYPD. "She's part of the gang I joined back in high school – I couldn't let her suffer or nothin', so she moved in with me. I give the evil eye to her new boyfriends, she makes sure I eat something and cleans up the place, and we both work at the garage. Works out well for the two of us." He smiled. Now that he thought about it, it really did work out well.
He glanced at Casey, and hid a fond look quickly before his cousin could see it. His life truly had changed for the better that night he'd been 'saved' by Casey and his girlfriend. He made a mental note not to tell Casey – the last thing he wanted was the younger man strutting around acting like he owned him or something.
His aunt quickly steered him back towards the conversation. "You sure that's all there is between you two? Just friendship?" Adelina asked, interested in the subject matter, but still a bit quieter then she normally would have been. Sid ran his eyes over her quickly, noting the very faint shakiness in her hands, and decided to indulge his aunt. Helping her take her mind off her illness was the very least he could do.
"Yup," Sid confirmed, resigning himself to a mild interrogation. "I ain't interested in her like that, and neither is she. We tried dating in high school anyway – never felt right." Popping the last slice in his mouth, he started peeling another orange. "So yeah, she'll be here at three, like I said. So, what's the plan for today?" Resigning himself didn't mean he couldn't attempt a subject change though.
"Not much." Casey drizzled a liberal amount of syrup over his new stack. Sid watched, scowling. For a guy who liked to tease him about the way Sid tried to drown his toast, he certainly was attempting to do the same to his pancakes. "Almost got that tractor working, and the furnace needs looking at. It was rumbling the other day."
"I can give ya a hand," Sid shrugged. He grinned. "Maybe I can make a bigger dent in the barn this time." He waggled his eyebrows comically.
"Spare me," Casey moaned, but he was laughing, and so was Adelina, so Sid was reasonably pleased with himself. He was also half-serious. Riding the lawn mower had been his favorite thing in the world when he was younger – once he'd learned how to do it properly, that is. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
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Breakfast went by quickly after that, and Adelina made them do the dishes. Sid washed and Casey dried, since he knew where everything was supposed to go. His aunt took advantage of having her 'man-slaves' at her beck and call, and decided to spend the morning in the living room, relaxing with a book she'd produced from somewhere.
Sid followed his cousin outside to see his old collision-course partner.
The repair job actually took much less time then they'd originally anticipated. Casey had done a good deal of it on previous days, and what was left was...well, two mechanics plus one three-quarters finished tractor equaled one easy job that took them less then an hour to complete. However, persuading Casey to let him give it the old college try one more time at the barn wall proved to take a bit longer.
"Please?"
"No, Sid. I like having the barn wall in one piece."
"Spoilsport." Sid harumphed, and folded his arms, glaring childishly at his cousin. He was fully aware that his actions were astoundingly immature, but he couldn't help it. The lure of mischief in him was as strong as the lure to money had been for him. Casey was younger too – he should have been begging for the first try!
Suddenly, Sid grinned and leaned over the tractor, resting his arms on the worn seat. "Fine. No crash test dummies practice. On my honor." He crossed his heart.
Casey finished packing up his toolbox and then looked up at him suspiciously. "Honor?"
"Hey! I'm not THAT bad!" Sid scolded him. It was true. Hadn't Casey ever heard of 'Honor Among Thieves'? Sid was positive he had as much honor as any thief.
Casey rolled his eyes. "What about the furnace?"
Sid brightened. "Any chance you'll let me turn it into a flame-thrower?"
Casey paused and looked at Sid warily. "You're not serious are you?"
Sid tapped his nose. "Wouldn't you like to know?" It wasn't like anyone had died or anything.
"Actually I would. As in, do I need to start posting a guard around the damn thing?"
Casey really was getting perceptive in his old age. Sid sniffed. "Geez, one little explosion, and no seems to trust a guy ever again."
"Explosion?"
"When Cal gets here, you can ask her. Just for future reference, I'm denying everything she accuses me of, unless I get a chance for rebuttal."At the very least, he deserved a chance to defend himself. Cal could throw some pretty low blows when she wanted to, and Sid paled slightly at the thought of all the ammunition she probably had stored against him. "She doesn't play fair."
His cousin snorted and shook his head, tossing the last of the tools in the box. "I'm starting to understand why your parents up and moved halfway around the world to get away from you."
Sid felt the smile on his face freeze as the seemingly innocuous statement from his cousin hit him with silent force.
Of all the topics he had expected his cousin to engage in, this was the last one on his list he ever wanted to mention. He couldn't help it – the ingrained trigger reflex to strike back against what he heard as hurtful words was strong, but he wrestled the urge down. Casey didn't know. He couldn't know. He didn't mean it.
Still, despite his best efforts, when he spoke again, it came out as a glacial coldness that swept through the area. "Let's not go there. Deal?"
Casey must have heard the warning in his voice, because he didn't make an immediate, snide comment. Instead, Casey closed the toolbox lid and focused his attention at Sid, head tilted to one side in a definite questioning manner. "Sid?"
Sid closed his eyes, and tried again to take the icy edge from his words. "Yes?" He barely succeeded.
"Anything ya wanna share with the class?" The words might have been flippant, but the the tone was not.
For a brief second, Sid entertained the thought of joking his way out of saying anything more, but the look on Casey's face was one that he recognized all too well. He'd have an easier time getting a starving pitbull to drop a turkey drumstick. He probably couldn't do it anyway – the wounds were old ones, but they were still painful. Sid sighed and looked away. "Nah. Nothing to share."
Nothing important, at any rate. Casey had enough on his plate to handle, and the fact that he knew almost nothing about why Sid had joined a gang, or why he'd gone through such an abrupt change at such a young age, well...that just meant it was a huge thing to land on him, and Sid didn't feel up to it. The good feelings he'd been having all day started to fall to the back of his mind, being replaced with memories he really didn't want to bring up. Silence reigned for almost a whole minute, and Sid wondered vaguely if maybe Casey would drop it after all. He looked back at his cousin.
"Ya're full of shit, Cuz," Casey said mildly, staring evenly at him.
Of course he wouldn't. I do believe my language is starting to truly rub off on him. Sid considered glaring and then decided it wouldn't do much good, and went with a disarming grin instead. "Turnin' my eyes brown, is it?" If he couldn't joke it off, he'd do the next best thing. Deflect and shield, his two greatest strengths. He had no compunctions about using them on family members either, considering they played the same game themselves.
It was for that reason, that instead of the witty comeback he was waiting for, he was blindsided and struck by the look of...disappointment?...Casey threw back at him. Sid blinked, confused. "Case?"
This wasn't in the script.
Casey suddenly flopped down on to the grass, leaning back on his hands and staring up at Sid who was still peering over the tractor. "Look, it's bad enough comin' from Ma, but now you gotta start too?"
Back up. Rewind. "Say what?" Sid cocked his head to the side, utterly confused. "What did I do? What did Aunt Adie do? " Whatever he was expecting out of his cousin's mouth, that wasn't it. "You gotta explain this to me Cuz, 'cause I have no idea what you're talking about."
Casey pointed at him. "This. You. The whole, 'not talking' thing. Look, I can tell when I've said something I probably shouldn't have – I have a lifetime's worth of experience in picking out the different tones in a person's voice that tell me 'don't go there.' It sounds an awful lot like the tones used by people also trying to get me to leave public places without causing a scene."
Sid blinked. "Your point?"
"My point is, obviously there's a mental landmine I just tripped, and instead of talking to me about it, you try to blast me with an arctic freeze attack."
"...kudos for the D&D reference," Sid said, after a minute of silence. It was a vague attempt to delay the fact that Casey had a point. Casey being loud and aggressive was normal, something Sid could handle and/or deflect with relative ease. Casey being perceptive and pointed was not. "But if the tone of my voice clearly states 'go away' to you, I'm not sure why you're naggin' me for details."
Casey rolled his eyes, glaring at him. "Because I refuse to deal with three mental breakdowns at once." His cousin sighed and slumped back on the grass, staring up at the sky.
Three? Sid watched him for a minute, and then tentatively asked, "Three?"
Still on his back, Casey raised one arm into the air and held out a fist. "Ma." One finger shot into the air. "You, for some reason." His middle finger joined his index. "And quite possibly me, after dealing with breakdowns one and two." The third finger was lifted, and Casey pointed the united digits at Sid. "Get it?"
Sid nodded. He did, really. It was understandable. Casey and his ma were under incredible stress, and he had come waltzing back into their lives, inserting himself into their crisis. While he hadn't had any intention of deliberately making his family's life any harder then it currently was, it seemed he was still capable of creating problems without even trying. He supposed it was a latent ability of his. Cal would probably agree with him. He decided he'd have to ask her opinion later.
Casey raised his head slightly to look at him. "I told ya, you're family Sid. We may have stuff to still work out, you and me, but I'm still here to listen. If you want."
A stab of guilt twinged in Sid's gut. "I do," Sid said quietly. "But it ain't a big deal, and I don't wanna add on to what you already gotta deal with." Anymore then he already had, that is.
Casey nodded. "Fair enough. Just tell me – what did I piss you off about so much that you wanted to momentarily beat the crud outta me?"
Sid chuckled wryly. "That would be opening up that can of worms we're trying so delicately to avoid doing."
Casey snorted. "Well, how am I supposed to avoid the subject if I don't know what it is?"
The man had a point. Sid sighed and cupped his chin in his hand. The chill he'd felt from earlier was gone, and Sid considered what he should do. The topic was very much a sore point with him – but Casey didn't know that. It wasn't fair to blast the man for something he knew nothing about. He'd already snapped at him, an automatic response to be fair, but he still shouldn't have done it. Adding in his cousin's general forgiveness, and his welcome back into the family, and well...
I owe an explanation at the very least.
Sid rubbed his hand over his face, drawing his fingers over his nose and pinching the bridge. "It was what you said about my parents, about them moving around the world to get away from me." Sid closed his eyes. He really didn't want to get into this.
Casey sat up again, looking serious. "Shit, man, you know I didn't mean that the way it sounded."
"Even if it was true?" Sid asked abruptly. Calm, calm. It was an instinctive response to react like he did, but he reminded himself that Casey deserved an answer to his question. He stared down at the grass, the flowers, the trail of dirt leading to the barn doors – anything to keep from having to look his cousin in the face. The truth about his little exodus from the family graces really wasn't one for the highlight reels. His eyes flicked up to gage his cousin's response, hoping his cousin would heed the mental plea in his head.
Unfortunately, Casey had his stubborn look on. "Sid..."
"Look, it's nothing. Really." Sid sent a weak grin at Casey, refusing to flinch when Casey's glare crushed it head on. He sighed. If there was no getting around it, well, he could be just as direct as his cousin. "It's a sad fact of life but not everyone has the great relationship you did with your parents. The kind that you still have with your mother today. I left home because while my mother was still a good woman, my father was less then the image of the ideal father. I think Dad moved himself and Mom 'round the world so I wouldn't show up on their doorstep looking for a handout. It was a little more expensive then the classic 'wrap the lunch in a road map and move', but it got the point across." He ended with a light laugh, trying to ease over the reality of his words, ignoring the little twist in his stomach.
For a minute, Casey didn't say anything, but Sid knew there was no way he was just going to let that little number drop. Light tones be damned. When did Casey get so damned perceptive? And why did he have to choose that day, that moment, to exercise his new powers on him?
Then Casey tilted his head, looking up at him questioningly. "I thought you said you talked to your mom a short time back. Soon after me an' April got ya away from the Dragons?"
Sid just...breathed. "I did. To her and her alone. The gentleman known as my father refused to speak to me the same time I told mom not to put him on the line when she offered. Then she told me perhaps I should wait for her to call instead of the other way 'round, and well, here we are." Drop it, Case, he begged. You don't need my shit and I don't want to get into more detail then I already have.
Casey looked surprised. "I had no idea," he said wonderingly. "Granted, your parents were always a little...stiff, with the rest of the family, but dude, what happened between you and your dad? I don't remember anything big enough to make Ma and the grannies gossip over the dinner table."
Apparently a reprieve was not in his future. Sid sighed and shrugged. What Casey had just asked was something he'd asked himself many times before, before finally getting sick of trying to find an answer he didn't think existed. "Nothing really. He just never really wanted kids. He had his wife and his career and I was an unexpected surprise that showed up nine months after a celebration dinner with the company." It was odd, how those words could come out in such a neutral tone when the meaning itself could tie his stomach in knots.
"They looked for you at Grandma Cassie's funeral."
"More than likely, Mom was the only one actually hoping I'd show. Dad was probably hoping I'd stay gone." Sid chuckled darkly. "Good thing I didn't go. Might have given the old man a heart attack."
He blamed the evil little imp that appeared in his head, nodding its approval at his thoughts, on Casey for bringing up the subject in the first place.
Casey looked skeptically at him. "I can't believe you're taking this so lightly. You were ready to bite my head off a minute ago. Where's that arctic breeze now?"
Flying down my spine. "You caught me off guard, Case. And I really don't want to get into this right now. I'm leaving in a few hours, and you've got enough on your plate to deal with." Sid sighed and looked at his cousin somberly, willing him to understand. "It's fact of life Cuz. I ain't the first person to have a family member hate them. Granted, in our family, for a while, I had many people who hated me. I think I set a record!" He couldn't help but grin wryly, taking a perverse pleasure in achieving at least something." But at least joining a gang gave them a reason. Dad just didn't want me from the start." He shrugged again. "No biggie."
The knots in his stomach twisted a bit more. He never was good at lying to himself.
"Sid...Cuz..." Casey had a strange look on his face that Sid couldn't figure out.
"Drop it, man. I mean it – it ain't that big a deal. And I got you and Auntie Addie in my life again, something I didn't think would ever happen. Besides," Sid said, a tad ruefully. "You can't deny that I haven't given my dad enough reasons to not be proud of me."
"True that," Casey agreed with a small smile. "But you're changin' Sid. You helped me out big time last night with Ma, and you were at the hospital supporting her. I know that meant a lot to her."
Sid rolled his eyes at the younger man."I was there for you too Case," he pointed out mildly.
His cousin blinked at him. "What?"
Sid chuckled. Casey could be so dense sometimes, it was almost cute, in a dumb puppy dog way. All he needed was some floppy hears poking out of that shaggy mop of hair. "I mean, you dolt, that I'm here for you too. Your ma's not the only one whose gonna need someone to lean on, and since you're determined to keep Red in the dark, well, that just leaves me, don't it?" It was the least he could do.
Casey glared. "I ain't the one dyin' of cancer," he protested, and suddenly his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open in an 'o'. The color drained from Casey's face and Sid suddenly braced himself on the bike, swinging his legs over and landing on the grass beside Casey with a 'thump'. He reached out and gripped Casey's shoulder, looking him in the eyes.
"Casey?"
"I...I didn't..." Casey tried for a few seconds to say something and then gave up, just looking up at Sid for help, plainly asking him without words to help him figure out just what had happened.
Eh? Sid was at a loss until he replayed Casey's last sentence in his head, and then his own eyes widened in surprise. "Shit...you finally said it." He had thought it would take more time then that.
Casey nodded, and then his head dropped. Sid didn't hear any tears – not that Jones men would cry in front of each other, of course – but he could see the tightening of Casey's shoulder muscles, the way he suddenly seemed to feel the need to dig his fingers into the earth and and rip at the grass, like he couldn't rip away the sickness taking his sole parent from him.
It was painful to watch. He never could tolerate seeing his little cousin in pain when they were kids. As Casey's self-appointed protector, Sid had gone to great lengths to ensure his little cousin was safe from harm, whether it be waving away hovering bees, squishing spiders, holding his hand while hopping the stones in the river, or hauling him up to sit with him on tree branches. Now, so many years later, seeing his little cousin as a grown man, a strong man, struggling to hold back the waves of grief Sid knew had to be battering against him, Sid was almost convinced he could feel his own heart breaking in sympathy.
Sid silently swore a blue streak, debating with himself over what to do, and finally went with his gut instinct, squeezing his cousin's shoulder. A gentle reminder that he was still there, that he wasn't alone. Casey brought his own hand up to cover it, squeezing his fingers once and then dropping it again.
Sid sighed. "You know it's coming," he said quietly. The urge to help rose within him, and with only the faintest bit of reluctance, he called upon the very memories he was trying to avoid dealing with, to offer some sort of...empathy. "Christ, I wish it wasn't, but it is. And I know it hurts man, but trust me, admitting that it's real, shaking off that denial...it's a good thing. For you, if no one else." Speaking from experience, he knew only too well what continued denial could do to a person in the long run.
Casey didn't say anything for a minute, and then his head jerked up to look at Sid's. Blue eyes, welled up with tears he wouldn't, or couldn't, let fall, glared at him with such heat Sid was mildly surprised the moisture didn't just evaporate. "A good thing? How the fuck is saying my mother is dyin' a good thing for you to hear from me?"
"Because it means now you can start dealing with it," Sid said calmly. "I know all about living in denial – the longer you go, the worse it hurts when that reality is ripped out from under you. Better you realize it now before ya ever get to that point, kiddo. Believe me."
He dropped his head again. Casey's hands were fisted in his lap, tensed as though he was about to throw a punch, and for a second Sid thought he might. Considering the stress he was under and the fact that Sid had confessed his (albeit reluctant) allegiance to the Dragons within the last few days and he hadn't gotten popped one, he figured a belt in the jaw was probably a little overdue. He rather fervently hoped he could avoid that particular scenario – his little cousin wasn't exactly little anymore...
Then Casey's hands relaxed and he spoke quietly, almost wistfully. "Does it ever get better?"
Now, there was a loaded question. Sid thought about the particular trials in his own life. He couldn't exactly say that they were healed, not with the mental trauma he was currently being forced to endure, but despite the punch they packed, he knew they were nowhere near as painful as they had been,
For better for for worse, his trials had shaped him, made him who he was. The person he'd become as a result, wasn't exactly someone to be proud of, and his initial, knee-jerk response was to try and candy-coat it. He didn't want his cousin turning out like him.
Except he doubted that could ever happen. Whatever trials were ahead of Casey, he would face them with more dignity and inner strength then Sid had. Casey had already faced a lot in his life, and somehow, he'd managed to retain that spark inside of him that made him strive to be a good person.
Uncle Dave was responsible for that. Not for the first time in his life, Sid wondered what he would have turned out like, if his own father had been like his uncle. Maybe so many years wouldn't have been wasted.
Sid blinked, and realized Casey was still waiting, and he tried to answer as best he could. "Time makes everything better, Cuz. Pain like this, it never goes away, ya know? But eventually it gets easier to deal with." At least he spoke the truth. Casey needed to hear that.
And Sid was honestly glad Casey came to his own realization so soon. If Sid had cottoned on to his father's true feelings before he had, maybe the shock of hearing Andrew Jones drunkenly complain to his wife about how much simpler life would have been had they remembered to use a condom on the night of his conception would have been easier to accept.
Not that I'm bitter or anything. He snorted. He was still better off then a lot of people. At least he still had someone in his family who cared, and was willing to give him a second chance after he'd left home to 'steal' his fortune.
It was still something of a shock to think of the changes one year could bring. This same time a year ago, he never would have believed he'd be back on the old farmhouse as a welcomed guest, rather than a potential thief.
He was really rather fortunate, when he thought about it. He didn't need to dwell on the bad issues, not when he had a great deal to currently be thankful for. That sudden realization made it a little easier to put the worst of his memories back under mental lock and key for the time being.
Casey was suddenly peering up at him again, and his eyes were like little blue lasers, pinning Sid into place. "Is that what you meant about you and your dad? About him not--"
"Case, deal with your issues first, before you try to take on mine, okay?" Sid rolled his eyes. Just because he was mostly okay with his situation for the time being, didn't mean Casey would be as accepting. His baby cousin had always had a hero complex. It was no wonder he had become the vigilante. Now that he knew about it, he couldn't picture anyone else wearing that mask. "I swear to God, kid. Freakin' do-gooders like you always bleed out because they're too busy patching up the world to save themselves."
Casey shrugged. "When we was growin' up, there was a time when you were my world Sid. You got no idea how much I idolized you when I was younger."
While he could remember Casey following him around like a little lost puppy, those exact words had never been spoken before. They felt really good in his ears, like they were soothing a hurt he couldn't see. A small smile crossed over Sid's face. "Really?"
"Yeah. Really." Casey matched the smile on Sid's face with his own. "I'm glad you're here Sid."
Sid felt a real smile appear on his face, and he leaned over, ruffling his cousin's hair fondly. "Me too, Case-man. Me too."
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Sid generally adored the fact that his roomie was as punctual as an atomic clock, but as three o'clock drew nearer, he found himself wishing she'd get stuck in a traffic jam or something. He and Casey had spent the entire day reminiscing about the past, keeping the topics light and jokes perverted. Typical guy stuff, he decided. Complete with mechanical do-hickeys for the ultimate in male bonding experiences. The tractor had been child's play, and fixing the boiler was turning out to be very, very boring, since Casey wouldn't let him experiment.
He pouted, but he couldn't help the small smile that kept creeping on his face when he least expected it.
Despite Casey's selfish hogging of the toolbox, he was having a great time, regardless of the reason he was even there to begin with. Lunch had been even better then breakfast – Auntie Addie had sent the two of them outside with frozen hamburger patties and an order to get the barbecue up and running.
Sid licked his lips in remembrance. Nothing said loving like crisp lettuce, onions, pickles, cheese, ketchup, mustard and one heck of a slab of beef on huge, kaiser buns. His aunt had even made her famous potato salad, and had dug out the old deep-fryer for french fries. A true, calorie-laden, heart-attack inducing lunch. It had been exquisite. A feast for a king.
He wondered idly if Cal would be averse to staying for dinner. He knew Casey was itchin' for another go at the grill.
The familiar sound of a Neon's chugging engine made his ears pick up. Well, so much for the traffic jam. Letting out an aggrieved sigh, he shoved his hands in his pockets and slouched towards the door.
Still attempting to breathe life into the furnace, Casey looked up at him. "Gee, I thought you liked your roommate."
Sid smiled. "I do. I was just hoping she'd be late," he confessed. He shrugged, one hand coming up to rub the back of his head in mild embarrassment – he could feel the familiar heat of a faint blush rising. "I, uh...well, 'm having a better time then I thought I would, ya know?" He blinked rapidly. "That doesn't mean I thought it would suck or nothing, but--" he stopped, registering the look on his cousin's face, and with a pout, he aimed a finger in Casey's direction. "You're laughing at me."
Casey nodded at him. "Yes. Yes I am."
"Shut up." Sid scowled and threw one of the towels they'd been using to clean up at him. He was happy to see it strike his cousin's face, settling greasey-side down. "I'm gonna make sure Auntie Addie doesn't scare Cal away, and to make sure Cal behaves. You can come say hello, if you're feeling civil for some reason."
On that note, he whirled around and stomped up the back stairs. He could hear Casey snickering, and he let out one of his own. He still couldn't get over just how relaxed he felt, having his family back.
Speaking of family...he picked up speed and launched himself out the cellar door, just in time to see a familiar black Neon pull into the driveway, windows rolled down. "Yo, Calico!" The door opened, and he watched his long-time friend and roommate step out.
She was tall, almost as tall as he was, which meant she was nearly Casey's height too. She was dressed simply, as she usually was, in straight leg blue jeans and wearing a faded black and red t-shirt Sid recognized as his. Her windbreaker was plain black with white trim, and since it obviously wasn't that hot out, she left it open, and huge, gray sneakers with ripped sides graced her feet. Cal was a girl who dressed to be comfortable at all times, and Sid couldn't remember the last time he saw her all gussied up. As he recalled, even her own grandmother's funeral a few years ago had only merited black denim as opposed to blue.
Therefore it made sense that in coming to meet the members of his estranged family, she wouldn't change her routine. It was oddly comforting.
Cal had a round, perpetually grinning face and hazel-colored eyes. Sid knew she wasn't what people would consider classically beautiful – hell, Cal herself said it all the time – but when she gave that full grin of hers, it lit up her entire face. It was her smile that had originally attracted her Dragon boyfriend, which was ironic because it had been him that had made it go away. It was only after he had been arrested, that Cal's smile – her real smile - had made its return.
Sid watched his friend stride over to him, her arms up for hugs, and he gave in to the urge to run and meet her halfway. It had only been two days, but he missed her.
"Hey Sid!"
"Cally-girl!" He cheered, wrapping his arms around her. "A sight for sore eyes!" He gave her another squeeze and then stepped back, putting his hands on her shoulders and leveling a mild glare at her. "You could have been late you know."
She cocked her head to the side. "I'm sure I could have been. Why?" Then her eyes widened slightly, and her lips curled upward again. "You mean, you – Mr Worrywart – are having a good time?"
Sid pouted. She knew how nervous he had been. He deserved sympathy and cuddles, not teasing. He glared. Damn those non-traffic jams.
"Awww, poor baby," Cal chuckled. She patted him on the head, and Sid mock-hissed at her. "Who would have thought people could actually tolerate having you around this long without resorting to bodily harm?"
"Not that we weren't tempted!"
Sid turned his head with Cal's to see Casey emerging from the basement, watching them with apparent amusement. "Oh great," Sid groused,but his lip betrayed him by twitching slightly. "Now I have two of you to make fun of me."
"Teasing in stereo," Cal nodded, smiling. "This works. Hi – I'm Cal," she added, holding her hand out for Casey to shake.
He shook it firmly. "I'm Casey. Nice to meet you, Cal." He jerked his head at Sid. "Sid said you were coming to pick him up. Would you like to stay for dinner? He hasn't said anything but I know he's just dying to have his chance with the barbecue."
Yay! It was like Casey read his mind. Sid beamed. "Now, that's a lovely idea!" He wrapped an arm around Cal before she could protest, and another one around Casey, and began herding them towards the house, away from the car. It probably wasn't a good idea to keep them so close together – alone, they had ammunition against him, together they had a freaking battalion – but he was hungry. He could almost taste the sausages that would be cooking as soon as he got everyone to work.
Suddenly a shape appeared in the doorway and Sid's heart leaped into his throat – he'd momentarily forgotten the ancient tradition every single individual had to pass, in coming to the farmhouse. It was inevitable. Inescapable.
He still had to introduce Cal to Auntie Addie.
Sid shot a look at Casey who grinned evilly, and Sid remembered belatedly that April had passed his aunt's inspection already. Now it was his turn.
Oh my God....He wondered if it was too late to throw Cal back in the car and gun the engines.
He looked back at his aunt and saw her eyes gleaming malevolently behind her glasses. Yes. Much too late.
"Auntie Addie? This is Cal..."
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I know, I know, the guys weren't in this bit. But they will be next chapter – I swear! In the next chapter, one of the guys actually gets an accidental close encounter with Addie, setting a huge chain of events in motion The action will pick up a wee bit too – you'll see what I mean.
Sorry for this chapter taking so long. It was actually fairly hard for me to write – I couldn't quite muster up the enthusiasm for it. It's a necessary filler but I keep finding myself wandering away to write action snippets for the next couple chapters. Not to mention, this chapter gave me nothing but trouble – special thanks to Red Rebel who helped me fix Sid's POV in a few places.